Carter is a Republican. Gary is a Democrat.

They met in 1984, during the epic U.S. Senate battle between Jesse Helms and Jim Hunt. Carter worked for Helms and Gary, for Hunt.

Years later, they became friends. They even worked together on some nonpolitical clients.

They enjoy talking about politics. So they started this blog in 2005.

They’re still talking. And they invite you to join the conversation.

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Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

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Congress Takes a Stand

By Gary Pearce November 7, 2007

This tells you everything you need to know about Congress. The House couldn’t override President Bush’s veto of the children’s health-insurance bill. But it’s about to override another Bush veto – of a bill that clearly is nearer and dearer to the hearts of Congressmen than children’s health insurance. That would be water projects. It…

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Mister Hot and Mister Cool

By Gary Pearce November 7, 2007

John Edwards and Barack Obama double-teamed Hillary Clinton at last week’s Democratic debate. Hillary’s resulting stumble could turn the Democratic coronation into a contest. Edwards, as he has throughout the campaign, was Mister Hot. He focused on Hillary the courtroom aggressiveness that he kept hidden in 2004. He was perfectly comfortable going after her. Obama…

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Perdue Digs Deeper

By Gary Pearce November 6, 2007

When you’re in a hole, the first rule is: Stop digging. But Beverly Perdue’s campaign is digging a deeper hole every week. I sound like a broken record about this. But her campaign looks broken. The News & Observer found that her fundraising report failed to provide the occupations and employers for more than 300…

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the 100-County Tour

By Gary Pearce November 5, 2007

Every campaign, some fool candidate promises to campaign in all 100 counties. Every time, I say: You’re crazy. This year, GOP gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith and Democratic Senate hopeful Jim Neal are drinking the 100-county Kool Aid. I’d like to put a lie detector on them after they go to, say, 60 counties. Ask them…

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Down Hill(ary)

By Gary Pearce November 2, 2007

This could go down as the week the Democratic presidential race turned against Hillary Clinton. She was everybody’s favorite target in the Democratic debate. She was panned for her performance. She confused everybody with her position on licenses for illegal immigrants. And she looks bad keeping the lock on her White House records. As I…

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Edwards Plummets, Romney Soars

By Carter Wrenn November 2, 2007

John Edwards has been counting on Iowa to be the spring-board for his Presidential campaign. He’s led there all year. But, last week, without warning the Presidential quicksand shifted beneath his feet. He plummeted from first place to third, dropping fourteen points (in the University of Iowa poll) from 34% in March to 20% now.…

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Who’s With Pelosi?

By Gary Pearce November 2, 2007

Who’s With Pelosi? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be in Raleigh today, speaking at Meredith College. The question is: Who will be with her? That is, which Democratic politicians will be there to have their picture taken with the San Francisco Democrat – and who will duck it? Specifically, will either Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue…

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John Drescher Stakes His Ground

By Gary Pearce November 1, 2007

The appointment of John Drescher as Executive Editor of The N&O means the paper will be led by a newsman who knows North Carolina politics and government. Drescher wrote a great book about the 1960 Terry Sanford-Beverly Lake race for Governor. He is the son-in-law of Phil Carlton, one of Jim Hunt’s oldest friends. Drescher’s…

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John Edwards Iowa Blues

By Carter Wrenn November 1, 2007

When John Edwards boasts he will win Iowa because he’s ‘got more feet on the ground’ (meaning volunteers) than Hillary and Obama it’s a sure sign his campaign is on life support. Edwards has run head-on into three brick walls. Money. Money. And Money. Obama and Hillary each have $30 million more than he does…

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Anything Goes…

By Carter Wrenn February 26, 2025

Back when Rod Blagojevich ran for governor of Illinois, Obama endorsed him and Trump gave his…

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Does This Work?

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2025

Does a message about “workers,” “working families” and “working-class voters” really work for Democrats? Or does…

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Out of Touch

By Gary Pearce February 20, 2025

I’ve resisted the temptation to rail every day about Trump’s cruelty, corruption and incompetence – and…

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